Air travelers are being forced to pay both Airport Development Fee and User Development Fee at many airports including Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Jaipur airports.
The then NDA government had imposed Airport Development Fee of Rs 225 per passenger in 2001, enabling the exchequer to collect Rs 2,000 crore in the last one decade.
The government which is supposed to spend that money for the development of new airports had asked private developers to construct and modernise airports in the country, paving the way to fleece passengers. It has authorised private developers to collect exorbitant amount in the name of UDF while fleecing the travellers with Airport Development fee of Rs 225 per passenger, according to the Air Travellers Association of India. The UDF is the highest at Shamshabad airport for domestic passengers when compared to other airports. The UDF for each domestic traveller is Rs 375 and international departures is Rs 1,000. In New Delhi, the amount is Rs 200 (domestic) and Rs 1,300 (international) respectively. The UDF is Rs 100 (domestic) and Rs 600 (international) respectively at Mumbai airport. In Bengaluru airport, Rs 260 (domestic) and Rs 1,070 (international) are being collected respectively from the travellers.
The Air Travellers Association of India president, Mr D.Varada Reddy, said: “It is unfair to collect UDF from passengers since the government has already been charging airport development fee. It should stop collecting airport development fee if it wants to allow private operators to collect UDF from travellers.”
“We brought the issue to the notice of Airport Economic Regulatory Authority. We are also opposing the hike in UDF as demanded by private operators. The AERA should consult all the stake holders before accepting any proposal of the private operators since it is going to be an additional burden for the travellers,” he added.
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